Sensing location of rack components

ABSTRACT

Provided is a method of localizing rack-mounted computing devices, the method comprising: receiving, with a direct current (DC) power bus or via an Ethernet control network or data network, a request from a control unit for a rack computing device location; generating, with a sensor, output signals conveying information related to a location of the rack-mounted computing device; and sending, with the direct current (DC) power bus or via an Ethernet control network or data network, location information of the rack-mounted computing device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of the following U.S.Provisional Patent Applications: U.S. 62/248,788, filed 30 Oct. 2015;and US 62/275,909, filed 7 Jan. 2016. The entire content of each parentapplication is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The present invention relates generally to location awareness of racksand rack components and, more specifically to localizing rack-mountedcomputing devices.

2. Description of the Related Art

Computer-equipment racks, such as server racks, are generally used tohouse and in some cases interconnect collections of computing devices,like servers and associated storage, power supplies, network switches,and the like. In many cases, the computing devices are relativelynumerous and arranged in relatively-dense arrays due to the cost ofspace appropriate to store such computing devices and the desire toreduce latency by having the devices close to one another.

Often, locating an individual computing device among a large number ofracks (e.g., tens, hundreds or sometimes thousands of racks) can bechallenging. Generally, large data centers rely on naming schemes, humankeying, network correlation and other similar addressing schemes totrack physical location of the computing devices. These and othermethods are often impractical and error-prone, which may result inincorrect equipment being serviced, or items needing to be serviced tobeing instead missed, for example.

SUMMARY

The following is a non-exhaustive listing of some aspects of the presenttechniques. These and other aspects are described in the followingdisclosure.

Some aspects include is a process of localizing rack-mounted computingdevices, the process including: receiving, with a direct current (DC)power bus, a request from a control unit for a rack computing devicelocation; generating, with a sensor, output signals conveyinginformation related to a location of the rack-mounted computing device;and sending, with the direct current (DC) power bus, locationinformation of the rack-mounted computing device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned aspects and other aspects of the present techniqueswill be better understood when the present application is read in viewof the following figures in which like numbers indicate similar oridentical elements:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a cylindrical datacenter chamber, inaccordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 2 illustrates a datacenter having an array of cylindricaldatacenter chambers of FIG. 1, in accordance with some embodiments;

FIGS. 3-4 illustrate operation of the cylindrical datacenter chamber ofFIG. 1, in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 5 illustrates examples of components of the cylindrical datacenterchamber of FIG. 1, in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 6 illustrates a chassis of the cylindrical datacenter chamber ofFIG. 1, in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 7 illustrates a wedge rack of the cylindrical datacenter chamber ofFIG. 1, in accordance with some embodiments;

FIGS. 8-10 illustrate examples of components of the wedge rack of thecylindrical datacenter chamber of FIG. 1, in accordance with someembodiments;

FIG. 11 illustrates a leveling base for the wedge racks of thecylindrical datacenter chamber of FIG. 1, in accordance with someembodiments;

FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the leveling base of FIG. 11, in accordancewith some embodiments;

FIG. 13 is a view of a portion of the leveling base of FIG. 11, inaccordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 14 illustrates a block diagram of an example of a server rackconfigured for computing device localization, in accordance with someembodiments;

FIG. 15 illustrate a block diagram of an example of a server rackconfigured for computing device localization in accordance with someembodiments; and

FIG. 16 illustrates components of a computing device that may bedisposed and interconnected in the cylindrical datacenter chamber ofFIG. 1.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way ofexample in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. Thedrawings may not be to scale. It should be understood, however, that thedrawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit theinvention to the particular form disclosed, but to the contrary, theintention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternativesfalling within the spirit and scope of the present invention as definedby the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS

To mitigate the problems described herein, the inventors had to bothinvent solutions and, in some cases just as importantly, recognizeproblems overlooked (or not yet foreseen) by others in the field of datacenter equipment design. Indeed, the inventors wish to emphasize thedifficulty of recognizing those problems that are nascent and willbecome much more apparent in the future should trends in the data centerindustry continue as applicants expect. Further, because multipleproblems are addressed, it should be understood that some embodimentsare problem-specific, and not all embodiments address every problem withtraditional systems described herein or provide every benefit describedherein. That said, improvements that solve various permutations of theseproblems are described below.

Reliable knowledge of the precise location of a piece of equipment in adata center has long been an unsolved problem, particularly for largerdata centers. Knowledge of this information assists in ensuring that thecorrect equipment is being serviced, as well as in helping to visualizeand model the physical characteristics and layout of data centers andthe equipment within. In some cases, the design of network equipment,where network ports and Ethernet addresses are generally not tied to aphysical location, it is typically impractical, error-prone, orimpossible to correlate network port information with a physicallocation. Generally, typical large data centers may rely on namingschemes, human keying, network correlation and other similar semanticsto semi-reliably track physical location. Some have attempted to signalthe location of equipment based on a server making physical contact withwired pins upon being inserted in a rack, but these arrangements areoften unreliable, as the pins are often physically damaged duringinsertion.

Some embodiments may mitigate some, and in some cases, all of theseissues. In some embodiments, locational sensors may be used to obtainand present pertinent locational information. In some embodiments, datamay be read off the locational sensors, may be stored in the computingdevice or in the microcontroller for power-line modem described below,and may be conveyed via the power-line modem. Or some embodiments maysend this information via a traditional Ethernet control network or datanetwork of a data center. In some embodiments retrieving data from thelocational sensors may be done remotely, for example with centralizedcomponents, like a control unit for a rack or for a datacenter (e.g.,remote management controller acting as the rack level control unit). Insome cases, these techniques are implemented the context of a computingenvironment described below with reference to FIGS. 1-13 and 16, thoughembodiments of the locational sensors have applicability outside thiscontext, e.g., in traditional rack designs.

FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of a datacenter chamber 500 in accordancewith some of the present techniques. In some embodiments, datacenter 500includes a collection of adjacent racks arrayed non-linearly (e.g., in acircle, oval, square, etc.) so as to at least partially define aninterior chamber (e.g., by fully enclosing the interior chamber in ahorizontal plane, or by partially enclosing the interior chamber, likeby defining a concave area in the plane). The interior chamber defines acompartment through which cooling fluid flows, in some cases having asubstantially an empty space through which cooling fluid like air mayflow. Some embodiments may provide for a generally cylindricaldatacenter chamber 500, having a plurality of wedge racks, each with astack of vertically arrayed, outward facing servers. Wedge-shaped racksgenerally have an outer portion (further from the interior chamber) thatis wider than an inner portion (adjacent the interior chamber). Thisarrangement is expected to allow for relatively easy access to equipmenton the wedge racks (e.g., for maintenance, cabling, installation, etc.)An integrated cooling or ventilation system may be provided by which airis drawn or pushed through the inner chamber (e.g., via fans near thetop or bottom of the inner chamber as shown in FIGS. 3-4 and describedbelow). Additionally, or alternatively, in some embodiments, ducting maybe coupled to the column, the data center pressurized, and air may flowthrough the ducting to a region at a lower pressure (or the ducting maybe driven to a lower pressure than a data center at ambient airpressure). Finally, arranging can be challenging due to the weight ofthe racks, particularly when the body of the racks serves to constrainand direct airflow, often leading to relatively narrow tolerances formating between adjacent racks. Some embodiments may include a guidingand seating system for aligning the racks during assembly, as describedbelow.

In some cases, the chamber may form a relatively self-contained unit,having cooling infrastructure independent of building-provided heating,ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC). In some cases, the chamber mayalso have power conditioning circuitry (e.g., rectifiers, low-passfilters, and surge-protectors) and back-up power supplies (e.g.,batteries). In some embodiments, each chamber includes an integrated,self-contained compute fabric by which computing devices areinterconnected. A relatively self-contained chamber 500 as describedabove may provide benefits such as easy shipping, easy access tocomponents within the chamber, cost effective heat and humidity control,and independency from other infrastructure (e.g., datacenter building,other datacenter units, etc.). That said, several independently usefulinventions are described, so not all embodiments provide all of thesebenefits.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a chamber 500 including a plurality of racks505 configured to hold arrays of rack-mounted computing devices 514.Racks 505 are arranged non-linearly (e.g., in a rotationally symmetricarray) to define chamber 500 and the interior chamber (shown in laterviews). Racks 505, in some embodiments, are “wedge racks” shaped todefine the interior chamber when placed adjacent one another, forinstance, by forming a wedge-shape in their horizontal cross section. Insome embodiments, wedge racks 505 may be arranged into a shape such as atriangle, square, hexagon, or octagon with the back sides all facingtowards (and in some cases partially or entirely defining) the interiorchamber. In some embodiments, the chamber 500 may have a generallycylindrical shape, e.g., a circular cylindrical shape. In someembodiments, the chamber 500 may be generally rotationally symmetricabout a vertical axis extending through the center of the chamber 500.In some embodiments, the interior chamber of datacenter chamber 500(shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) may generally be of cylindrical shape. In somecases, the interior chamber of datacenter chamber 500 may define (e.g.,approximate) a right cylinder with a base having a variety of shapesconsistent with the present techniques, e.g., a rectangular, triangular,pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, octagonal, decagonal, dodecagonal, orelliptical. In some cases, the interior chamber may define a taperedshape, such as an inverted cone, in which the diameter of the bottom islarger than the top or vice versa.

In some embodiments, chamber 500 provides front side rack access (theouter perimeter of the chamber) to access three categories ofinformation technology interfaces (e.g., of computing devices 514):compute; network, and storage. In some embodiments, the components bywhich the computing devices are connected to power and one another maybe accessible from the exterior of the chamber, e.g., the inner columnmay be generally or fully devoid of such connections, or alternateconnections may be accessible from the exterior. (Or some embodimentsmay include such connections in the interior.)

In some embodiments, a lid 510 is configured to fit on top of the wedgeracks. Lid 510 may include an upper portion 520 and a lower portion 516(on the opposite side of the upper portion vertically) and anillumination strip 518, behind which may reside an array of lightemitting diodes connected to a rack controller. Light color, intensity,and flashing rates or patterns may indicate status of computing devicesin the rack. Lid 510 may define an empty chamber space located betweenlower portion 516 (where lid 510 and the wedge racks connect) and upperportion 520 of lid 510. The empty space may house wiring and atop-of-rack network switch in some embodiments. In some cases, chamber500 may include a leveling base 512 described with reference to FIGS.11-13.

In some cases, the number of wedge racks 505 is at least three racks,e.g., five racks or six racks, or more. In some embodiments, each wedgerack 505 may be substantially identical to the other wedge racks, andeach receptacle, called a “U” in each rack may be substantiallyidentical to the others. In some embodiments, when assembled, theorientation of the wedge racks may differ by an amount less than 180degrees, e.g., less than 90 degrees. In some embodiments, as describedbelow, each wedge rack may be engineered with a holistic embeddedsystems engineering methodology to allow the rack to function as a“device”/“appliance”, and not as a traditional rack/row architecture,which is expected to be particularly advantageous in web-scaleapplications. In some embodiments, chamber 500 may eliminate traditional“U's” of measurement by integrating the “pitch” into the chamber itself.That said, embodiments are not limited to systems that provide thesebenefits, as various independently useful techniques are described here,which is not to suggest that any other feature may not be omitted insome cases.

In some cases, the datacenter chamber 500 may house more than 50 U's ofcomputing devices 514 and may span more than 5 feet in diameter (e.g.,approximately 9 feet). Further, in some cases, the racks in the chambermay be approximately the height of a person, e.g., on the order of sixfeet tall to facilitate access by technicians (e.g., five feet orhigher). In some embodiments, one or more datacenter chambers may bepart of a modular data center that can be placed where data capacity isneeded. This may allow for rapid deployment, energy efficiency,high-density computing, and cost reduction (though embodiments are alsoconsistent with a non-modular design).

In some embodiments, a plurality of datacenter chamber 500 may be may bearranged in a datacenter. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a datacenterhaving an array of cylindrical datacenter chambers. In some embodiments,the chambers may be arranged in a square or a hexagonal lattice, orother arrangements. In some cases, one or more datacenter chambers 500may be added to existing data centers with or without similarcharacteristics (e.g., having different server rack units). In someembodiments, one or more datacenter chambers 500 may be containerizedfor easy transportation. For example, datacenter chambers 500 (with orwithout datacenter equipment) may be configured to fit into a standardshipping container, which is then transported to a desired location.Datacenter chamber 500 may be advantageous for use in portable datacenter environments at least because of its integrated cooling orventilation system capacity as will be discussed below.

Controlling air temperature and humidity in the chamber (and in adatacenter in general) is expected to help protect equipment frommalfunction and damage. In some cases it may also reduce powerconsumption and cost. For example, temperatures in a datacenter chamber500 may rise because of the amount of power used in the datacenterchamber which may cause heat damage to equipment on the wedge racks.High humidity may cause water to condense on internal components withinthe datacenter chamber. Low humidity may cause static electricitydischarge problems which may damage components within the datacenterchamber. A variety of arrangements may direct air to flowcircumferentially inward or outward to cool rack-mounted computingequipment. In the illustrated embodiment, wedge racks 505 of chamber 500(FIG. 1) are arranged into a cylindrical shape (or they may be arrangedin other shapes described above such as a square, hexagon, or octagonwith the back sides all facing towards the center). This, in some cases,allows outside cold air to be pulled (or pushed) in from several (e.g.,all horizontal) directions to cool equipment in chamber 500. The cold(e.g., relative to the computing equipment) air may flow over thecomputing devices, drawing heat therefrom, and into the interiorcylinder. From the cylinder, the air may be exhausted through a fan thatdrives the airflow as shown by the arrows in FIG. 3.

The incoming air is heated as it passes across heatsinks (pulling wasteheat from computing equipment) and other warm components inside theequipment, in these embodiments. In some embodiments, the hot air exitsthe backs of the wedge racks and enters the inner chamber and exitsthrough the top of the chamber. FIGS. 3-4 illustrate operation of thechamber of FIG. 1, in accordance with some embodiments. Cold air may bepulled or pushed from all directions of chamber 500, drawn to the innerchamber and exits through an exhaust output (e.g., output 522 of FIG. 4)in the top of chamber 500. (Or the flow may be reversed.) In someembodiments, a lid (e.g., lid 510 of FIG. 1) configured to cover the topof the chamber serves as a barrier that prevents the hot air from mixingback in with the cold air. In some embodiments, a fan 524 in FIGS. 3-4,or an array of fans may be arranged and positioned in the top of the lidand configured to pull the hot air upward. In some cases, the fan may beconfigured to pull the hot air into ductwork that routes the airelsewhere.

In some embodiments, chamber 500 may include dampers configured toadjust the flow of air. FIG. 3 illustrates an example of dampers 525. Insome cases, dampers 525 in FIGS. 3 and 5, located at the base of thechamber may be be used to adjust the flow of air. In some embodiments,the dampers may include one or more valves, or plates configured tocontrol, stop, or regulate the flow of air inside chamber 500. In someembodiments, one or more dampers may be manual (e.g., using a manualhandle to control the damper), or automatic (e.g., using motors that arecontrolled by a thermostat). Industry recommended temperatures generallyrange between 64 and 81° F., a dew point range between 41 and 59° F.,and a maximum relative humidity of 60. In some embodiments, temperaturesmay range between 59 and 90° F.

In some embodiments, chamber 500 may include an integrated coolingsystem configured for directing air to flow circumferentially inward oroutward to cool rack-mounted computing equipment, for instance, bydriving a cooling fluid along computing devices mounted in the wedgeracks of chamber 500 and through the interior chamber of chamber 500.The present techniques are described with reference to a cooling gas(air), but are consistent with other fluids, e.g., in systems immersedin mineral oil. In some embodiments, the integrated cooling system ofchamber 500 is independent from other cooling systems (e.g., for otherchambers in the datacenter, for the room where the datacenter islocated, or for the building where the datacenter is located). In somecases, the integrated cooling system of chamber 500 may be controlled inconcert with other cooling systems for other chambers, for the room orfor the building. Cooling systems, humidifiers, ventilators, or othertemperature and humidity control systems may be used to help control airtemperature and humidity. In some embodiments, the integrated coolingsystem of chamber 500 may be configured to provide cooling and humiditycontrol by directly drawing fresh air into the cooling system (e.g.,through a vent, duct, etc.) In some embodiments, the integrated coolingsystem may be a portable cooling system. In other cases, the integratedcooling system maybe an integral part of chamber 500 (e.g., part of thechassis described below).

The integrated cooling system of chamber 500 may use one or moredifferent techniques for forcing air to flow over computing equipmentmounted in the wedge-shaped racks. For example, the cooling system maydrive a cooling fluid (e.g., air, gas, water, chemicals, or othercooling fluids) along equipment in chamber 500 and through the interiorchamber with a pump, like a centrifugal pump, in the case of liquids, ora fan, in the case of gases. The cool fluid is heated as it passesthrough equipment and is driven out of the chamber. For example in caseof air or other gases, the heated fluid may be driven out by a fanlocated near an end of the interior chamber e.g., top (or locatedelsewhere within, or near to chamber 500) to a duct or a vent. Or in thecase of cooling liquids, the heated liquid may be directed out of thechamber and into a heat exchanger using a pump.

For instance, in some embodiments, chamber 500 may include an integratedventilation infrastructure. In some embodiments, the integratedventilation infrastructure of chamber 500 is independent of otherventilation systems of other chambers, room, or building. In some cases,the integrated ventilation infrastructure may be controlled in concertwith ventilation of other chambers in the datacenter, ventilation of theroom, or building. In some embodiments, the ventilation infrastructuremay include one or more fans in series or parallel.

FIG. 6 illustrates a chassis 526 of the datacenter chamber 500 of FIG.1, in accordance with some embodiments. Chassis 526 may be configured tosecure one or more racks in spaced relation relative to one another.Chassis 526 may be configured to position the racks facing at leastthree different directions, e.g., six directions in the illustratedexample. Wedge rack 536 (FIG. 7) is secured to chassis 526 such thatchamber 536 is facing outward from the interior chamber defined by theback side of chamber 536 and the back side of other racks when securedto chassis 526. This may eliminate the need to reach the back side ofthe chamber (for maintenance, computing, networking, etc.), as opposedto existing rack cabinets which necessitate access to the back of therack cabinets for operating some functions of the equipment, servicing,or securing the equipment. Existing rack cabinets are usually placed insingle rows forming aisles between them to allow access to the back ofthe rack cabinets.

In some embodiments, chassis 526 includes a chamber brace 532 configuredto connect to a leveling base 528 of chassis 526. Brace 532 is amulti-surface brace. Each surface is configured to receive a wedge rack.In some embodiments, brace 532 may be configured to fit within levelingbase 528. In some cases, brace 532 may be configured to fit on top ofleveling base 528. In some embodiments, brace 532 and leveling base 528may be configured to be removably connected (screws for example). Insome embodiments, brace 532 and leveling base 528 may be permanentlyconnected (e.g., welded, or permanently glued together).

In some embodiments, chassis 526 may include baffles 530/534 configuredfor directing air for an efficient air flow within chamber 500 (e.g.,for cooling, ventilation, heat exchange, etc.) In some cases, thebaffles may make airflow more uniform into or out of the chamber.Different rack-mounted computing devices may obstruct air differently,potentially leading to areas of high flow and other areas of low flow.The low flow areas may not be adequately cooled. To mitigate this issue,the baffles may constrain airflow and, thereby, account for asubstantial portion of the pressure drop between the interior andexterior of the chamber. As a result, it is expected thatcomputing-device specific differences in the pressure drop will accountfor a smaller portion of the total pressure drop, thereby evening fluidflow. In some embodiments, the baffles may be in the form of vanes,panels, orifices, or other forms. In some embodiments, the baffles maybe one or more of longitudinal, horizontal, or other type of baffles.

In some embodiments, baffles 530/534 may include baffles configured tovary airflow restriction vertically along the length of the interiorchamber to reduce the likelihood of positive pressure developing in thedownstream end of the interior chamber. Positive pressure on what isintended to be the downstream side of the rack, in some use cases, isundesirable, as it can cause hot air to flow back from the interiorchamber towards some of the racks, heating rather than cooling computingequipment. For instance, from the bottom of the interior chamber to thetop of the interior chamber, the amount of airflow restriction providedmay progressively increase, e.g., from an unobstructed region along onequarter of the length, to a partially obstructed region spanning thenext quarter of the length, to an even more obstructed region spanningthe next quarter of the length, and finally to a fully obstructedportion for the final quarter. A variety of structures may be used topartially obstruct airflow. Examples include arrays of holes drilled ina plate (like in a hexagonal lattice), with hole size and densitydecreasing as airflow obstruction increases. In some embodiments,airflow restriction may vary smoothly from one end of the chamber to theother, or separate portions may be defined. In some embodiments a filtermedia of increasing density may vary the resistance to airflow. In someembodiments the varying impediments to flow may be placed at the outerradius of the chamber or intermediate between the inner chamber andouter surface.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a wedge rack 536 positioned on chassis526. In this example, wedge rack 536 defines a generally wedge-shapedvolume 541 along at least one side of the wedge rack. In someembodiments, the wedge rack comprises three articulating panels. A firstpanel 539 (not shown, but the element number identifies the area coveredby the panel) may be configured to selectively provide access to a rackof computing devices 544, a second panel 540 configured to selectivelyprovide access to a first wedge-shaped volume on one side of the rack ofcomputing devices 544, and a third panel 543 configured to selectivelyprovide access to a second wedge-shaped volume on a second side of therack of computing devices. In some embodiments, computing devices may bedisposed on equipment shelves 546. First panel 539 may providefront-side access (front side being the opposite side of a back sideadjacent to the interior chamber) for compute, network, and storageinterfaces for computing devices mounted in the racks. Wedge rack 536may include wedge rack top cover 542 configured to fit on top of wedge536. In some embodiments, top cover 542 may be removably connected tothe top of wedge 536. In some cases, top cover 542 may be permanentlyconnected to the top of wedge 536.

FIGS. 8-10 illustrate examples of components of a wedge rack, inaccordance with some embodiments. In some embodiments, wedge rack 536includes a plurality of structural support elements configured toprovide structural support and allow for heavy equipment mounting. Forexample, FIG. 8 shows rack front supports 550 located proximate an outerface of the wedge rack and extending vertically, rack rear support 552located proximate to a back side of the wedge rack and extendingvertically, and bus bar braces 556 extending horizontally and locatedproximate to a back side of the wedge rack adjacent the interior chambercoupled approximately perpendicular to rack rear support 552 and rackfront support 550. A plurality of bus bars 554 may be disposed along theracks adjacent the interior chamber. Bus bar 554 may be connected to busbraces 556 (e.g., via screws).

The bus bars may be configured to distribute direct current (DC) powerto at least some of the computing equipment by conducting electricity(e.g., direct current) within the racks, e.g., delivering power to rackmounted computing devices that establish electrical contact with the busbars upon being slid into the rack. The bus bars may be in the form of ametallic strip or bar (e.g., copper, brass or aluminum), and the busbars may be electrically isolated from the chamber chassis. In someembodiments, the bus bars may be of other shapes (e.g., flat strips,solid bars and rods, solid or hollow tubes, and braided wire). Some ofthese shapes allow heat to dissipate more efficiently due to their highsurface area to cross-sectional area ratio. Hollow or flat shapes areprevalent in higher current applications. In some cases, the one or morebus bars may be enclosed in a bus duct. The material composition andcross-sectional size of the bus bar may determine the maximum amount ofcurrent that can be safely carried. In some embodiments, the bus barsmay have insulators (564 of FIG. 10), or insulation may surround them insome cases to protect them from accidental contact. In some cases, busbars may be enclosed in a metal housing, in the form of bus duct orbusway, segregated-phase bus, or isolated-phase bus.

In some embodiments, chamber 500 may include a plurality of directcurrent (DC) bus bars for power distribution. Generally, rack-mountedcomputing equipment consumes DC power. Traditionally, in many cases eachinstance of equipment received alternative current (AC) power andconverted the AC power to DC power with a dedicated power converter.This technique however can be expensive and generate additional heatnear the computing equipment. Some embodiments may eliminate the needfor the AC power converters by providing DC power. Or in some cases itcan be expensive to power an AC voltage input power supply from the DCbus bar. In some embodiments, a bus bar power adapter may allowtraditional AC voltage servers to be safely powered, and in some cases,controlled or monitored, via a DC power source.

In some embodiments, datacenter chamber 500 may include a backup powersupply. In some cases, chamber 500 may include an integrated powerinfrastructure. For example, an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) thatmay be configured to provide uninterrupted power over some duration. Insome embodiments, the power supply may be a battery-driven power supply(As shown in FIGS. 9-10 wedge rack 536 may include a rectifier or abattery module 558). For example, a higher-voltage direct current (DC)power source, such as a battery may provide electrical power that isconverted into a lower voltage, higher current DC power source. In someembodiments, the battery may be based on any of a variety of differentchemistries. Examples include lead-acid, nickel-metal hydride, lithiumion, and the like. In some embodiments, other power sources may be used,such as fuel cells, banks of capacitors, and the like. Thetransformation may be effected by a DC-DC converter, such as a 48-voltto 12-volt DC-DC converter that receives 48-volt DC power at givencurrent and produces 12-volt DC power at a substantially higher current.In some embodiments, the several of the above UPSs may be placed in eachrack. In some embodiments, each wedge of a rack may include a separateUPS, e.g., three or more UPSs for each wedge connected in parallel toincrease current at a given voltage over that provided by a single UPS.Modular power supplies are expected to limit the scope of damage if anyone UPS fails. In some embodiments, the UPS may be controlled remotely.

In some embodiments, datacenter chamber 500 includes a plurality ofcomputing devices disposed in the racks. The computing devices may bedisposed on equipment trays 560. In some cases trays 560 may have aplurality of openings on the back of the trays adjacent the innerchamber. The opening may be configured to facilitate connection of theequipment and bus bars. In some embodiments, the openings may includebus bar connectors (example 562 in FIG. 9). The computing devices mayhave stored thereon operating systems and user-applications (e.g.,server applications, databases, load balancers, etc.)

In some embodiments, datacenter chamber 500 may include an integratedcompute fabric configured to connect a plurality of computing deviceswithin the chamber. The integrated compute fabric may be configured toconnect the computing devices through interconnected nodes and linksthat look like a “fabric”. The nodes may refer to processors, memory, orperipherals and the links may refer to functional connection betweennodes. The integrated compute fabric may allow for high processingcapabilities.

With some traditional systems, installations are difficult when racksare required to be positioned in relatively precise orientations inorder to create a particular geometric shape or to direct airflow. Tomitigate this issue, some embodiments use a modular and interlockingleveling base 570 (FIGS. 11-13) framework that serves to both level andto orient the racks into alignment, thus enabling the assembly ofcomplex arrangements of racks with ease. That said, embodiments are notlimited to systems that provide these benefits, as various independentlyuseful techniques are described here, which is not to suggest that anyother feature may not be omitted in some cases.

In some embodiments, leveling base 570 includes a center piece (572 ofFIG. 12) and a plurality of horizontally extending arms (574 of FIG.12). Center piece 572 may be of hexagonal shape. Or in other cases, theleveling base may of triangular, square, pentagonal, hexagonal,heptagonal, octagonal, decagonal, dodecagonal, or other shapes. In someembodiments the leveling base is of the same shape as the base ofchassis (described above). In some embodiments, the leveling baseincludes a plurality of modular sections configured to be connectedtogether to form the leveling base (e.g., screws, rivets, etc.) This mayhelp in shipping, installation and configuration of the leveling base.In some embodiments, the modular sections may be assembled on-site andthen leveled to ensure even weight distribution across the floor. Insome embodiments, leveling base 570 may be constructed of aluminum,steel, or a combination thereof to help keep the weight down. Theleveling base may be bolted to the floor, using a plurality of boltingplates 578 (as shown in FIG. 12) located in the bottom side of theleveling base, to secure the structure in place to allow forinstallation and alignment of the racks. The bolting plates may bearranged such that they extend away from the leveling base towards theinner center section of the base.

In some embodiments, the bottom side of the leveling base includes aplurality of adjustable leveling feet 576 configured to level the baseand, later when installed, the rest of the chamber. The adjustableleveling feet may be configured to be threaded in the leveling base toallow for adjusting the height of the leveling base and locking for thelevel of the base. Or other height-adjustable implements may be used,e.g., shims, wedges, hydraulic feet, ratchets, or interchangeable feetof different sizes. In some embodiments, each extending arm may includeat least one adjustable leveling foot. In some cases, the leveling basemay include a plurality of height-adjustable feet extending from thebottom of the base. In some cases, the height adjustable stands may bebolts threaded into a threaded interface of the base. The bolts extenddownward to feet 576, the bolts being adjustable thereby adjusting theheight of the feet. In some cases, before the racks are installed, thebase may be leveled, so that the weight of the chamber does notinterfere with leveling.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 13, the upper side of the levelingbase includes devices for reducing friction as a wedge-shaped rack istranslated over the base. In this example, a plurality of ball bearings580 located in the extending arms 574 and the center piece 572 of theleveling base 570. The ball bearings are configured to create a guideand support for the racks as they are lifted slightly and slide intoplace. In some embodiments, the ball bearings 580 include a steel ballseated in a socket. A portion of the ball may extend out of the socketand above the base, with the socket extending into the respective arm,so that less than half of the ball bearing extends above the top surfaceof the arm. In some cases, each ball bearing has a diameter of betweenone and three centimeters. In some embodiment, the socket may house aplurality of smaller bearings (e.g., between 2 and 5 millimeters) onwhich the exposed ball bearing rides to lower friction. Examples includean SP-30 ball transfer unit available from Ahcell of Taizhou, JiangsuProvince in China. In some embodiments, each extending arm may includeeight ball bearings configured such that four ball bearings guide andsupport one bottom side of a rack and the other four ball bearings onthe same arm are configured to guide and support one bottom side of anadjacent rack.

During installation of a wedge-rack, the wedge-rack may be translated(e.g., slid, rolled or carried) horizontally toward the interiorchamber, between the respective arms receiving the unit. As the rackmakes contact with the distal portion of the ball bearings extendingupward from the arms, the bottom of the rack 582 may be lifted (in somecases by being slid against and up onto the ball bearings) and rolled ontop of the ball bearing located on the arms located on each side of thebottom of the rack. Once on the ball bearing the bottom of the rack ispushed (with relatively little effort) such that the back side 584 ofthe bottom of the rack is on top of the ball bearing located on thecenter piece of the leveling base. As the rack is pushed backward afirst force is generated translating the rack slightly upward, as therack rolls onto the ball bearings. Then, as the rack rolls over the ballbearings, the rack may translate downward to sit on the leveling base,e.g., the bottom of the rack may include an indent to receive each ballbearings when in the proper position, thereby providing haptic feedbackindicative of proper alignment.

Once in place, the bottom of the rack may be secured using an electroniclatch, or a manual latch (e.g., a peg in a hole). In some embodiments,once the rack is in place a signal indicating that the rack is properlyseated on the leveling arm may be generated (e.g., audible signal,visual signal, or other forms of signals). In some embodiments, a gasketsealer may be used to seal the racks side by side and to seal the backside of the rack to the chassis.

Alternatively, or additionally, the leveling base may includeair-casters configured to secure each of the racks to the leveling base.In some embodiments, air-casters may be created in the assembledleveling base such that they coincide with mating structures on thebottom side of the rack. The air-casters create a guide for the racks asthey are lifted slightly and slid into place. Once in position, the rackis lowered onto the base and settles into the air-casters, which isexpected to help with proper alignment. In some embodiments, otherstructures may reduce friction, e.g., Teflon™ bushings, bearings on thebottom of the rack, wheels on the top of the base or bottom of the rack,etc.

In some embodiments, the above-described rack-mounted computerassemblies (or other rack designs) may include locational sensors, suchas the locational sensors described below with reference to FIGS. 14-15.In some embodiments, the locational sensors may be configured to providelocation data. In some case, additional information may be providedalong with the location data. For example, identification (e.g., forquality assurance to indicate the device present is correct),rack/rerack counts, whether a rack location is tagged to be monitored,whether a rack location has ever been exposed to an environmentallyhostile condition (e.g., a fire or extreme temperature condition, etc.),identifying the network switch port corresponding to a device, and otherinformation.

FIG. 14 illustrates a rack 800 having a plurality of computing devices812 and sensors 810 that may mitigate some of the above-described issueswith traditional localization techniques, as well as, or in thealternative, provide other benefits described below. In some cases, rack800 may be similar to one or more of the above-described racks (orcollections of racks, like a chamber). In other cases, rack 800 may be atraditional rack with more conventional arrangements of rack computingdevices 812, for example in more traditional architectures with linearrows of rack-mounted computing device receptacles on either side of ahot aisle.

In some embodiments, sensors 810 are location sensors configured toprovide information related to the location of rack 800 in a datacenter. Location sensors need not directly signal location and maysignal a value indexed to a location in a database. For example, sensors810 may provide unique identifiers associated in memory with a latitude,longitude, and altitude (e.g., height, or floor in a multi-floordatacenter) information related to rack 800. In some cases, sensors 810may provide information related to equipment location in rack 800 (e.g.,computing device 812). Equipment location in rack 800 may includevertical position relative to a top and/or bottom of the rack,horizontal position relative to left and/or right rails of the rack, anddepth position relative to the front and/or rear rails of the rack. Insome cases, sensors 810 may provide information related to location of arack and computing equipment with the rack. For example, for a givenequipment, vertical, horizontal and depth position in a rack areprovided along with the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the rackwithin the data center are also provided. In some embodiments, sensors810 may provide information related to multiple racks and multipleequipment within the racks in a data center.

In some embodiments, sensors 810 may be installed in various locations(e.g., back of computing equipment 812, on the chassis of the computingequipment adaptor (described above), on the rails of rack 800, or anyother location within a rack, a chamber (described above), or a datacenter. In some cases, each receptacle (e.g., a “U”) of a rack may havea respective sensor, e.g., with a wireless transmitter that transmits aunique identifier and a wireless receiver that receives the wirelesssignal. Sensors 810 may be attached using various connections (e.g.,wires, cable ties, screws, rivets, adhesives, Epoxy resins, etc.) Insome embodiments, sensors 810 may be embedded in one or more componentsof rack 800, or computing equipment 812. In some cases, sensors 810 maybe positioned on each rack U of the above-described racks, e.g., at arear portion. In some embodiments, sensors 810 may be spaced about 48millimeters apart (which corresponds to the OpenU rack height), in othercases, sensors 810 may be spaced about 44.45 millimeters or 1.75 inchesapart, which corresponds to a standard rack height. That said, this isnot to be construed as limiting as other spacing between sensors 810 maybe considered, which is not to suggest that any other description islimiting.

In some embodiments, a sensor 810 may include a tag 802. Tag 802 may bean electronic device containing information (e.g., identifyinginformation (ID)) that can be accessed by a reader 804 and wirelesslyconveyed to a user, a rack control unit, or a central control unit forthe datacenter. Tag 802 may be (or may be embedded in) a sticker, abarcode, a label, or a smart label (that transfers data, or launches anapplication in a reader when it senses the reader in proximity). Alongwith the identifying information, other information provided by sensor810 (e.g., location, condition, temperature, humidity, moisture, motion,etc.) may be conveyed along with the ID. In some cases, tag 802 may beattached to rack 800 as described above, and reader 804 may be attachedto computing device 812, or vice versa.

The spacing (and wireless broadcast range) between tag 802 and reader804 may be relatively short for example equal to or less than aboutthree quarters of an inch to prevent reading multiple tags from adjacentreceptacles of a rack, in some embodiments. In some cases, the rangebetween tag 802 and reader 804 may be equal or less than eight inches.In other cases, the range between tag 802 and reader 804 may be up to4000 inches. In some embodiments, tag reader 804 may be mounted at rearof the chassis of the adaptor described above with a wire that placesthe reader in communication with the the powerline communication modem.This is expected to allow for the tag to be found even if the server isoff. This is advantageous because it does not requiremechanical/electrical interface between the tag and the reader(mechanical/electrical contact tend to brake or corrode). That said,other embodiments may use such electrical contacts in conjunction withthe other inventive aspects described herein.

In some embodiments, tag 802 includes an integrated circuit (e.g.,including a modem, a memory, processor, and power storage, etc.) forstoring and processing information. In some embodiments, tag 802 mayinclude a local power source (e.g., battery) and may transmit its ID (orother information) periodically without being “interrogated” by a reader804 or in some instances may transmit only in the presence of a reader804, or only if interrogated by the reader. In some cases, the readermay activate the tag (e.g., power the sensor for a reading) only whenasked by reader. In some instances, tag 802 and reader 804 communicateby alternately generating their own fields (e.g., one deactivates itsfield while waiting from data from the other). In other cases, tag 802does not include a power source, and instead uses radio energytransmitted by reader 804 through antennas. In some embodiments, tag 802includes an antenna for receiving and transmitting signals and forcollecting energy to turn the tag on. In some cases, the antennae usemagnetic or electromagnetic coupling between a tag 802 and reader 804antennas for power transferring between reader 804 and tag 802. Forexample, reader 804 antennae may convert electrical current intoelectromagnetic waves that are then radiated into space where they canbe received by tag 802 antennae and converted back to electricalcurrent. In some instances, tag 802 (or reader 804) may include morethan one antenna for better communication with reader 804 (or tag 802).

In some embodiments, tag 802 may include read-only factory programmeddata (e.g., a tag identifier, serial number, a unique trackingidentifier, etc.) In some embodiments, tag 802 may include an area oftag memory that is writeable. The writable data may include name ofrack, name of data center, address, serial numbers, etc. In someembodiments, writing or retrieving the data from the tag may be doneremotely via a rack control unit or central control unit as describedbelow.

In some embodiments, reader 804 may be a two-way radiotransmitter-receiver that provides connection between tag 802 data andlocal or central control unit or other applications by interrogating tag802. In some cases, tag reader 804 may include control and applicationsoftware (e.g., middleware) for connecting reader with the applicationsthey support by sending commands to the reader and receiving tag datafrom the reader. In some embodiments, reader 804 may communicate withseveral tags within its range simultaneously to capture data from thedifferent tags. Reader 804 may be attached to computing device 812(e.g., mounted to or embedded), rear of the chassis of the adaptordescribed above, or in other locations. In some cases, reader 804 may bea mobile reader. For example, the mobile reader may be mounted on a handheld device, on a mobile cart, a mobile barcode scanner, etc.

In some embodiments, tag reader 804 may include an antenna for receivingand transmitting signals. In other embodiments, tag reader 804 may usean off-the shelf antennae, or in other cases, a printed circuit board(PCB) trace antenna may be used as an antenna. In some cases, antennasused in tag reader 804 (or tag 802) may be linear-polarized antennasconfigured to radiate linear electric fields with long ranges, and highlevels of power allowing their signals to penetrate through differentmaterials (e.g., to read the tags). These types of antennas aresensitive to orientation of the tag (or reader). In some cases, antennasused in tag reader 804 (or tag 802) may be circular-polarized antennasconfigured to radiate circular electric fields. These types of antennasare less sensitive to orientation. This is not to be construed limiting,as other types of antennas may be used, which is not to suggest that anyother description is limiting.

Different types of sensors may be used. For example, close-rangeradio-frequency identification (RFID) or near-field communicating (NFC)sensors may be used in accordance with some embodiments. In some cases,optical sensors may be used. For example, an optical tag (e.g., a barcode or QR code) may communicate information to the reader by reflectingthe read request by reflecting a spatially modulated version of theincoming signal optical reader, which extracts the information byanalyzing the pattern. In other cases, sensor 810 may include a barcodecontaining information and a barcode scanner that reads and decodes thebarcode information locally or transfers the information to anapplication program for decoding. Other types of sensors may beconsidered.

In some embodiments, more centralized components, like a control unitfor a rack or for a datacenter (e.g., remote management controlleracting as the rack level control unit), may take inventory of thepresence and location of tagged devices. For instance, an applicationprogram interface (API) request to such a control unit may prompt thecontrol unit to scan for present devices (e.g., devices available on aDC power bus). In some embodiments, a control bus, such as adual-purpose DC power and control bus coupled to a powerline modem on arack, may be accessed by the centralized control unit to scan for tags.In some cases, such scans may be performed periodically, e.g., less thanonce an hour or once a day, or more frequently. In some embodiments,control units for each rack or subset of a datacenter may scan differentpowerline networks, with distinct address spaces, e.g., concurrently, toexpedite scans in datacenters with relatively large numbers of taggedservers, for instance, in separate powerline networks for each rack.(Such scans may also interrogate various sensors, or tags associatedwith sensors, like humidity, air pressure, vibration, air flow, noise,particulate matter.) In some cases, a shared physical media of eachrack-mounted device, like a DC power bus for a rack, may form thenetwork over which the scan is implemented. FIG. 15 illustrates anexample of a rack 800 including a sensor 810 in accordance with someembodiments. Sensor 810 includes a tag 802 and a reader 804 as describedabove. In some cases, tag 802 may be may be located on the rack andreader 804 may be located on computing devices 812 in the rack 800.Additionally, and alternatively, in some cases reader 804 may be locatedon the rack and tag 802 may be located on computing devices 812 in therack 800.

In some cases, rack 800 may include a rack control unit 818 coupled viaa power bus 814 (e.g., a DC power bus) to powerline modems on eachrack-mounted device (e.g., server 812). The rack control unit mayinterrogate the available devices to determine location, capabilities,presence, and sensor readings, e.g., periodically. In some cases, therack control unit 818 may exercise local control and monitoring over theoperation of computing devices 812 in the rack 800. For example, rackcontrol unit 818 may monitor the operation and presence of rackcomputing units and, in some cases, components of those rack computingunits. In some cases, rack 800 may include multiple control units 818configured to monitor, interrogate or receive sensing information fromdifferent sensors on rack 800 or computing devices 812 on the rack. Insome cases, the control unit may be a central unit (e.g., for multipleracks, an entire chamber, an entire floor, or an entire data center)that may be configured to monitor, interrogate or receive sensinginformation from different sensors with monitoring data being sent backto a central monitoring station.

In some embodiments, the rack control unit 818 may be configured toperiodically request, the status of various sensors 810 such as locationsensors, temperature sensors, vibration sensors, particulate sensors,fan speed sensors, airflow sensors, humidity sensors, air pressuresensors, noise sensors, and the like. In some embodiments, rack controlunit 818 may compare the reported values to a threshold and raise or logvarious alarms, for example, to bring a condition to the attention of anadministrator. Similarly, in some cases, rack control unit 818 mayimplement, by commands, various changes in rack 800, or computing device812, or other computing devices on rack 800 in response to informationreceived from sensors 810. Examples include instructing rack computingdevice 812 to boot up or turn off, update a bios, change a setting inpersistent flash memory (in some cases bypassing the bios), update orreport a firmware version, change a register value in a peripheral, andinitiating and executing a remote terminal session.

In the illustrated embodiment, rack control unit 818 includes a rackcontroller 824, and a powerline modem 828. In some embodiments, the rackcontroller 824 may implement the logical functions described above, forexample, for monitoring the rack 800 and the rack computing devices 812(and/or other racks and other computing devices), and controlling therack computing device in response to information from sensor(s) 810. Forexample, in some embodiments, the rack controller 824 may executeroutines that control, engage, and disengage various thermal controlunits, such as fans or adjustable airflow restrictors, responsive totemperature sensors indicating an imbalance in airflow or positivepressure in an exhaust region. In some embodiments, the rack controller824 is an application executing on a distinct computing device having aprocessor, memory, and an operating system. In some embodiments, therack controller 824 includes a REST-based web server interface operativeto receive instructions and provide responses according to a RESTfulapplication program interface (API).

In some embodiments, rack 800 may include a bus bar power adapter 830configured to provide power (e.g., DC power) to the rack mountedcomputing device 812. As described above, reader 804 may be installed onthe bus bar power adapter 830. Bus bar power adapter 830 may include insome cases, a powerline modem 834 including a microcontroller 836 thatmay be configured to retrieve sensing information from reader 804 andsend this information across the powerline. Several protocols may beused to retrieve or send information (e.g., Ethernet, rs485, zigBee,etc.) Such protocols may be implemented to retrieve or send informationon DC power bus 814 or other physical media, e.g., wireless, orprotocol-specific cabling in some cases. In some cases, the modem 834includes a protocol-specific network adapter with a media accesscontroller and transceiver (e.g., wired or a radio) configured toexecute routines by which access to the media is arbitrated andinformation is conveyed in accordance with these protocols. In someembodiments, the microcontroller 836 is operative to receive signalsfrom the powerline modem 834 and take responsive action. For example,the microcontroller 836 may receive commands from powerline modem 834and implement those commands. In some cases, the commands may includeaccessing, configuration, or polling reader 804, and/or tag 802 toprovide information that describes what sensors are available, theirtype, or their location, etc. Microcontroller 836 may implement some ofthe commands, for example, by querying or otherwise polling sensor(s)810 to monitor things like location, voltage in, voltage out, current,resources being used by the computing device 812 (e.g., power usage), orenvironmental conditions, like temperature, vibrations, airflow,particulates, humidity, electromagnetic radiation, and the like.

In some embodiments, microcontroller 836 may receive commands from therack control unit 818 and implement those commands, for example, byquerying or otherwise polling sensors 810, to monitor things likeresources being used by the computing device 812 (e.g. processor usageor memory usage), or environmental conditions, like temperature,vibrations, airflow, particulates, humidity, electromagnetic radiation,and the like. In some embodiments, the microcontroller 836 may beoperative to drive various signals into the computing device 812 thatreconfigure the computing device 812, monitor the computing device 812,or control the computing device 812. Examples include sending signalsonto a system management bus or other bus of the computing device 812that cause the computing device 812 to turn on, turn off, change asetting accessible via a BIOS (in some cases without engaging the BIOSand writing directly to flash memory), reconfiguring various settings,like clock speed or register settings for peripheral devices. In someembodiments, data may be read off sensor (s) 810 (e.g., off tag 802, orreader 804) and stored in the computing device 812, or in themicrocontroller 836. The data may be updated each time the computingdevice 812 is pushed into a new location.

In some embodiments, additional space in the EEPROMs (or other registersassociated with powerline modem 828 or computing device 812) may obtainand store other information beyond an address. For instance, eachrack-mounted device may include a scanner (like an RFID, near-fieldcommunicating (NFC), or optical barcode scanner), and techniciansworking on the device may scan a badge to create a record in memory onthe device indicating an identifier of the technicians that haveserviced the device. In some cases, the microcontroller 836 may comparesuch an identifier to a list of permitted technicians, or determine thatsuch a scan occurred, before disengaging a mechanical lock, like asolenoid holding a pin in a hole of the rack, to release therack-mounted device before it is accessed. Or in some cases, permissiblerack locations may be stored in memory of the EEPROM, like a whitelistor black list of permissible rack locations. The microcontroller 836 maycompare a sensed location to the set of permissible locations andindicate a mismatch to rack-control unit 818. In some cases, themicrocontroller 836 may cause a visual indicator, like a light emittingdiode on a device or illumination strip 518, to illuminate to indicatecompliance with, or a mismatch with respect to, a whitelist or blacklist of permissible rack locations. In some cases, the microcontroller836 may write a value to the EEPROM in response to an environmentalsensor threshold being exceeded, like if the device was exposed to heatin a particular range for more than a threshold amount of time, or adegree of particular readings exceeding a threshold. These values may beread later to troubleshoot equipment. In some embodiments, the EEPROMmight list network port switches corresponding to the device, and thesevalues may be accessed by the microcontroller 836 and CPU to ensure thata device is plugged into the correct port, which can help with cablingor network management.

The embodiments of FIG. 15 is not to be construed limiting, or are anyother embodiments. A datacenter may have a plurality of racks, each rackhaving a rack control unit coupled via a DC powerline bus to powerlinemodems on each rack-mounted device (e.g., server), and the rack controlunit may interrogate the available devices to determine location,capabilities, and sensor readings, e.g., periodically.

In some embodiments, rack receptacles may include rails or shelves bywhich a server is slid backward into a rack. In some embodiments, theserver may make electrical contact with the DC bus-bars described abovenear the end of being slid back into the rack, e.g., via blind mating.In some embodiments, this connection may power a wireless receiver onthe server (e.g., mounted to the server even when the server is notinstalled in the rack). In some embodiments, as a result of the serverbeing slid into the receptacle, the wireless receiver may be broughtinto alignment and broadcast range of one of a regularly spaced array ofwireless transmitters on the rack (e.g., passive RFID tags or LEDsconfigured to emit an optical code in a pattern of flashes sensed by alight sensor on the server).

Some embodiments may use rack location information for data center rowsto determine location by building, aisle, chamber, rack and server. Someembodiments may tag power drops, so that a unique identifier of a powerdrop is read when a computing device is connected to the power drop.Some embodiments may aggregate data associating computing devices withpower drops, allowing the operator to know what breaker is on what rack.In some cases, the power drop location sensors are implemented in thepower backplane area, in the top of rack switch, or at various rackcontroller interfaces. Using this information, some embodiments maycreate a user interface map showing the load on breakers. Someembodiments may also present visualizations for power allocation onbreakers with real-time data, and some embodiments may identify runsthat are underutilized based on this data. Based on this data, someembodiments may adjust load balancing in or between data centers.

FIG. 16 is a diagram that illustrates an exemplary computing system 1000in accordance with embodiments of the present technique. In some cases,each U in each rack of the above-described chamber may house one or moreof these systems 1000. Various portions of systems and methods describedherein, may include or be executed on one or more computer systemssimilar to computing system 1000. Further, processes and modulesdescribed herein may be executed by one or more processing systemssimilar to that of computing system 1000.

Computing system 1000 may include one or more processors (e.g.,processors 1010 a-1010 n) coupled to system memory 1020, an input/outputI/O device interface 1030, and a network interface 1040 via aninput/output (I/O) interface 1050. A processor may include a singleprocessor or a plurality of processors (e.g., distributed processors). Aprocessor may be any suitable processor capable of executing orotherwise performing instructions. A processor may include a centralprocessing unit (CPU) that carries out program instructions to performthe arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of computingsystem 1000. A processor may execute code (e.g., processor firmware, aprotocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, or acombination thereof) that creates an execution environment for programinstructions. A processor may include a programmable processor. Aprocessor may include general or special purpose microprocessors. Aprocessor may receive instructions and data from a memory (e.g., systemmemory 1020). Computing system 1000 may be a uni-processor systemincluding one processor (e.g., processor 1010 a), or a multi-processorsystem including any number of suitable processors (e.g., 1010 a-1010n). Multiple processors may be employed to provide for parallel orsequential execution of one or more portions of the techniques describedherein. Processes, such as logic flows, described herein may beperformed by one or more programmable processors executing one or morecomputer programs to perform functions by operating on input data andgenerating corresponding output. Processes described herein may beperformed by, and apparatus can also be implemented as, special purposelogic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or anASIC (application specific integrated circuit). Computing system 1000may include a plurality of computing devices (e.g., distributed computersystems) to implement various processing functions.

I/O device interface 1030 may provide an interface for connection of oneor more I/O devices 1060 to computer system 1000. I/O devices mayinclude devices that receive input (e.g., from a user) or outputinformation (e.g., to a user). I/O devices 1060 may include, forexample, graphical user interface presented on displays (e.g., a cathoderay tube (CRT) or liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor), pointingdevices (e.g., a computer mouse or trackball), keyboards, keypads,touchpads, scanning devices, voice recognition devices, gesturerecognition devices, printers, audio speakers, microphones, cameras, orthe like. I/O devices 1060 may be connected to computer system 1000through a wired or wireless connection. I/O devices 1060 may beconnected to computer system 1000 from a remote location. I/O devices1060 located on remote computer system, for example, may be connected tocomputer system 1000 via a network and network interface 1040.

Network interface 1040 may include a network adapter that provides forconnection of computer system 1000 to a network. Network interface 1040may facilitate data exchange between computer system 1000 and otherdevices connected to the network. Network interface 1040 may supportwired or wireless communication. The network may include an electroniccommunication network, such as the Internet, a local area network (LAN),a wide area network (WAN), a cellular communications network, or thelike.

System memory 1020 may be configured to store program instructions 1100or data 1110. Program instructions 1100 may be executable by a processor(e.g., one or more of processors 1010 a-1010 n) to implement one or moreembodiments of the present techniques. Instructions 1100 may includemodules of computer program instructions for implementing one or moretechniques described herein with regard to various processing modules.Program instructions may include a computer program (which in certainforms is known as a program, software, software application, script, orcode). A computer program may be written in a programming language,including compiled or interpreted languages, or declarative orprocedural languages. A computer program may include a unit suitable foruse in a computing environment, including as a stand-alone program, amodule, a component, or a subroutine. A computer program may or may notcorrespond to a file in a file system. A program may be stored in aportion of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or morescripts stored in a markup language document), in a single filededicated to the program in question, or in multiple coordinated files(e.g., files that store one or more modules, sub programs, or portionsof code). A computer program may be deployed to be executed on one ormore computer processors located locally at one site or distributedacross multiple remote sites and interconnected by a communicationnetwork.

System memory 1020 may include a tangible program carrier having programinstructions stored thereon. A tangible program carrier may include anon-transitory computer readable storage medium. A non-transitorycomputer readable storage medium may include a machine readable storagedevice, a machine readable storage substrate, a memory device, or anycombination thereof. Non-transitory computer readable storage medium mayinclude non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory, ROM, PROM, EPROM,EEPROM memory), volatile memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM),static random access memory (SRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM)),bulk storage memory (e.g., CD-ROM or DVD-ROM, hard-drives), or the like.System memory 1020 may include a non-transitory computer readablestorage medium that may have program instructions stored thereon thatare executable by a computer processor (e.g., one or more of processors1010 a-1010 n) to cause the subject matter and the functional operationsdescribed herein. A memory (e.g., system memory 1020) may include asingle memory device or a plurality of memory devices (e.g., distributedmemory devices).

I/O interface 1050 may be configured to coordinate I/O traffic betweenprocessors 1010 a-1010 n, system memory 1020, network interface 1040,I/O devices 1060, or other peripheral devices. I/O interface 1050 mayperform protocol, timing, or other data transformations to convert datasignals from one component (e.g., system memory 1020) into a formatsuitable for use by another component (e.g., processors 1010 a-1010 n).I/O interface 1050 may include support for devices attached throughvarious types of peripheral buses, such as a variant of the PeripheralComponent Interconnect (PCI) bus standard or the Universal Serial Bus(USB) standard.

Embodiments of the techniques described herein may be implemented usinga single instance of computer system 1000 or multiple computer systems1000 configured to host different portions or instances of embodiments.Multiple computer systems 1000 may provide for parallel or sequentialprocessing/execution of one or more portions of the techniques describedherein.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that computer system 1000 ismerely illustrative and is not intended to limit the scope of thetechniques described herein. Computer system 1000 may include anycombination of devices or software that may perform or otherwise providefor the performance of the techniques described herein. For example,computer system 1000 may include or be a combination of acloud-computing system, a data center, a server rack, a server, avirtual server, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tabletcomputer, a server device, a client device, a mobile telephone, apersonal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile audio or video player, a gameconsole, a vehicle-mounted computer, or a Global Positioning System(GPS), or the like. Computer system 1000 may also be connected to otherdevices that are not illustrated, or may operate as a stand-alonesystem. In addition, the functionality provided by the illustratedcomponents may in some embodiments be combined in fewer components ordistributed in additional components. Similarly, in some embodiments,the functionality of some of the illustrated components may not beprovided or other additional functionality may be available.

Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that while various itemsare illustrated as being stored in memory or on storage while beingused, these items or portions of them may be transferred between memoryand other storage devices for purposes of memory management and dataintegrity. Alternatively, in other embodiments some or all of thesoftware components may execute in memory on another device andcommunicate with the illustrated computer system via inter-computercommunication. Some or all of the system components or data structuresmay also be stored (e.g., as instructions or structured data) on acomputer-accessible medium or a portable article to be read by anappropriate drive, various examples of which are described above. Insome embodiments, instructions stored on a computer-accessible mediumseparate from computer system 1000 may be transmitted to computer system1000 via transmission media or signals such as electrical,electromagnetic, or digital signals, conveyed via a communication mediumsuch as a network or a wireless link. Various embodiments may furtherinclude receiving, sending, or storing instructions or data implementedin accordance with the foregoing description upon a computer-accessiblemedium. Accordingly, the present invention may be practiced with othercomputer system configurations.

The reader should appreciate that the present application describesseveral inventions. Rather than separating those inventions intomultiple isolated patent applications, applicants have grouped theseinventions into a single document because their related subject matterlends itself to economies in the application process. But the distinctadvantages and aspects of such inventions should not be conflated. Insome cases, embodiments address all of the deficiencies noted herein,but it should be understood that the inventions are independentlyuseful, and some embodiments address only a subset of such problems oroffer other, unmentioned benefits that will be apparent to those ofskill in the art reviewing the present disclosure. Due to costsconstraints, some inventions disclosed herein may not be presentlyclaimed and may be claimed in later filings, such as continuationapplications or by amending the present claims. Similarly, due to spaceconstraints, neither the Abstract nor the Summary of the Inventionsections of the present document should be taken as containing acomprehensive listing of all such inventions or all aspects of suchinventions.

It should be understood that the description and the drawings are notintended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but tothe contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents,and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the presentinvention as defined by the appended claims. Further modifications andalternative embodiments of various aspects of the invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art in view of this description.Accordingly, this description and the drawings are to be construed asillustrative only and are for the purpose of teaching those skilled inthe art the general manner of carrying out the invention. It is to beunderstood that the forms of the invention shown and described hereinare to be taken as examples of embodiments. Elements and materials maybe substituted for those illustrated and described herein, parts andprocesses may be reversed or omitted, and certain features of theinvention may be utilized independently, all as would be apparent to oneskilled in the art after having the benefit of this description of theinvention. Changes may be made in the elements described herein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in thefollowing claims. Headings used herein are for organizational purposesonly and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description.

As used throughout this application, the word “may” is used in apermissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather thanthe mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). The words “include”,“including”, and “includes” and the like mean including, but not limitedto. As used throughout this application, the singular forms “a,” “an,”and “the” include plural referents unless the content explicitlyindicates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “an element” or “aelement” includes a combination of two or more elements, notwithstandinguse of other terms and phrases for one or more elements, such as “one ormore.” The term “or” is, unless indicated otherwise, non-exclusive,i.e., encompassing both “and” and “or.” Terms describing conditionalrelationships, e.g., “in response to X, Y,” “upon X, Y,”, “if X, Y,”“when X, Y,” and the like, encompass causal relationships in which theantecedent is a necessary causal condition, the antecedent is asufficient causal condition, or the antecedent is a contributory causalcondition of the consequent, e.g., “state X occurs upon condition Yobtaining” is generic to “X occurs solely upon Y” and “X occurs upon Yand Z.” Such conditional relationships are not limited to consequencesthat instantly follow the antecedent obtaining, as some consequences maybe delayed, and in conditional statements, antecedents are connected totheir consequents, e.g., the antecedent is relevant to the likelihood ofthe consequent occurring. Statements in which a plurality of attributesor functions are mapped to a plurality of objects (e.g., one or moreprocessors performing steps A, B, C, and D) encompasses both all suchattributes or functions being mapped to all such objects and subsets ofthe attributes or functions being mapped to subsets of the attributes orfunctions (e.g., both all processors each performing steps A-D, and acase in which processor 1 performs step A, processor 2 performs step Band part of step C, and processor 3 performs part of step C and step D),unless otherwise indicated. Further, unless otherwise indicated,statements that one value or action is “based on” another condition orvalue encompass both instances in which the condition or value is thesole factor and instances in which the condition or value is one factoramong a plurality of factors. Unless specifically stated otherwise, asapparent from the discussion, it is appreciated that throughout thisspecification discussions utilizing terms such as “processing,”“computing,” “calculating,” “determining” or the like refer to actionsor processes of a specific apparatus, such as a special purpose computeror a similar special purpose electronic processing/computing device.

The present techniques will be better understood with reference to thefollowing enumerated embodiments:

1. A method of localizing rack-mounted computing devices, the methodcomprising: receiving, with a direct current (DC) power bus configuredto power the rack-mounted computing device, a request from a controlunit for a rack computing device location; generating, with a sensor,output signals conveying information related to a location of therack-mounted computing device; and sending, with the direct current (DC)power bus, location information of the rack-mounted computing device.2. The method of embodiment 1, wherein the location information of therack-mounted computing device includes latitude, longitude, or altitude.3. The method of any of embodiments 1-2, wherein the information relatedto the location rack-mounted computing device includes verticalposition, horizontal position, or depth position relative to the rack.4. The method of any of embodiments 1-3, further comprising sending,with the direct current (DC) power bus, identification information (ID)of the rack-mounted computing device concurrent with the locationinformation.5. The method of any of embodiments 1-4, further comprising sending,with the direct current (DC) power bus, additional sensing informationconcurrent with the location information, wherein the additional sensinginformation includes presence, condition, state, motion, orenvironmental information.6. The method of any of embodiments 1-5, wherein the locationinformation is sent with the direct current (DC) power bus each time thecomputing device is placed into a new location.7. The method of any of embodiments 1-6, further comprising triggeringan alert in response to not receiving location information of thecomputing device.8. The method of any of embodiments 1-7, further comprising triggeringan alert in response to receiving location information indicative of thecomputing device being in a wrong location.9. The method of any of embodiments 1-8, wherein the sensor comprises atag configured to provide location information of the rack-mountedcomputing device and a tag reader configured to obtain the locationinformation from the tag and send the location information to thecontrol unit.10. The method of embodiment 9, wherein the tag is located on the rack,and wherein the tag reader is located on the rack-mounted computingdevice.11. The method of any of embodiments 9-10, wherein the tag is located onthe rack, and wherein the tag reader is a mobile reader.12. The method of any of embodiments 9-11, wherein the tag is a barcodeand the tag reader is barcode scanner.13. The method of any of embodiments 1-9, wherein the sensor is aradio-frequency identification (RFID) sensor comprising a RFID tag and aRFID tag reader.14. The method of any of embodiments 1-9, wherein the sensor is anear-field communications (NFC) sensor.15. A method of localizing rack-mounted computing devices, the methodcomprising placing a tag comprising identification information on arack; placing a tag reader on a rack-mounted computing device;receiving, with a direct current (DC) power bus configured to power therack-mounted computing device, a request from a control unit for a rackcomputing device location; generating, with the tag reader, informationrelated to a location of the rack-mounted computing device; and sending,with the direct current (DC) power bus, the location information of therack-mounted computing device.16. The method of embodiments 1-9, wherein the rack-mounted computingdevice is connected to a power drop, the method further comprisingsending, a unique identifier of the power drop indicating the locationof the rack computing device.17. The method of embodiment 16, wherein the unique identifier of thepower drop is sent each time the computing device is connected to thepower drop.18. The method of embodiments 16-17, further comprising: identifyingpower allocation within a plurality of racks, the plurality of racksincluding the rack, and wherein the identifying includes user interfacevisualization of the power allocation.19. The method of embodiments 1-9, further comprising: sensing with atag reader a signal transmitted by a tag, wherein the tag or the tagreader comprises a persistent flash memory to store sensing information,and wherein the sensing information includes rack count.20. A system, comprising a rack configured to hold a plurality ofrack-mounted computing devices comprising a rack-mounted computingdevice; and a sensor tag configured to provide location information ofthe rack-mounted computing device; a direct current (DC) power busconfigured to power operation of the rack-mounted computing device; arack controller having a processor, a memory, and a powerline modemoperative to send commands to, and receive data from the rack-mountedcomputing device via the DC power bus; and a power adapter connectingthe rack-mounted computing device to the DC power bus, the power adaptercomprising a powerline modem; a microcontroller operative to executecommands sent by the rack controller, the commands including requestsfor location of the rack-mounted computing device; and a tag readerconfigured to obtain location information of the rack-mounted computingdevice from the sensor tag and provide the location information to themicrocontroller.21. The system of embodiment 20, wherein the control unit is configuredto send location requests periodically.22. The system of any of embodiments 20-21, comprising a plurality ofrack-mounted computing devices.23. The system of any of embodiments 20-22, wherein each of therack-mounted computing devices have memory storing instructions of anoperating system and an application configured to exchange locationinformation via the DC power bus.24. The system of any of embodiments 20-23, wherein location informationof the rack-mounted computing devices is transmitted via an Ethernetcontrol network or data network and each of the rack-mounted computingdevices have memory storing instructions of an operating system and anapplication configured to exchange location information via the Ethernetcontrol network or data network.25. The system of any of embodiments 20-24 comprising a plurality ofracks each comprising a plurality of rack-mounted computing devices.26. The method of embodiments 1-9, further comprising: sending, with anEthernet control network, identification information (ID) of therack-mounted computing device with the location information.27. The method of embodiments 1-9, further comprising: sending, with anEthernet control network, additional sensing information with thelocation information, wherein the additional sensing informationincludes presence, condition, state, motion, or environmentalinformation.28. The method of embodiments 1-9, wherein the location information issent with an Ethernet control network each time the computing device isplaced into a new location.29. A method of localizing rack-mounted computing devices, the methodcomprising placing a tag comprising identification information on arack; placing a tag reader on a rack-mounted computing device;receiving, with an Ethernet control network or data network, a requestfrom a control unit for a rack computing device location; generating,with the tag reader, information related to a location of therack-mounted computing device; and sending, with the Ethernet controlnetwork or data network, the location information of the rack-mountedcomputing device.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of localizing rack-mounted computingdevices, the method comprising: receiving a request for a rack computingdevice location, the rack computing device being mounted in a rackcomprising at least one blind mate power bus; wirelessly sensing, by atag reader coupled to a blind mate power adaptor of the rack computingdevice, a value indicative of the location of the rack computing device,the reader configured to perform operations comprising: sensing, basedon physical proximity between a tag and the tag reader, the value of thetag, the proximity being caused by the rack computing device beingmounted in one of a plurality of receptacles in the rack, each of thereceptacles being associated with a different tag, each different tagmounted to the rack independent of the rack computing device andencoding a different value indicative of a different location within therack; and generating, based on the wirelessly sensed value of the tag,location information related to the location of the rack computingdevice mounted in the rack; and transmitting a signal conveying thelocation information via the blind mate power adaptor of the rackcomputing device, the blind mate power adaptor being coupled to a blindmate power bus of the rack.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein thelocation information includes latitude, longitude, or altitude.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the location information includes verticalposition, horizontal position, or depth position relative to the rack.4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: sending, with a directcurrent (DC) power bus, identification information (ID) of therack-mounted computing device with the location information.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: sending, with a direct current(DC) power bus, additional sensing information with the locationinformation, wherein the additional sensing information includespresence, condition, state, motion, or environmental information.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: wirelessly sensing, by the tagreader coupled to the blind mate power adaptor of the rack computingdevice in response to a placement of the rack computing device in adifferent one of the plurality of receptacles in the rack, a differentvalue indicative of a different location of the rack computing device;sensing, by the tag reader, based on physical proximity between adifferent tag corresponding to the different receptacle and the tagreader, the different value of the different tag; generating, based onthe wirelessly sensed different value, second location informationrelated to the different location of the rack computing device withinthe rack; and transmitting a second signal conveying the second locationinformation via the blind mate power adaptor coupled to a blind matepower bus of the rack, wherein: the first signal conveying the firstlocation information and the second signal conveying the second locationinformation are transmitted based in part on the blind mate coupling ofthe blind mate power adaptor of the rack computing device with anenergized blind mate power bus of the rack, the blind mate power busproviding power to the blind mate power adaptor and the tag readerregardless of whether the rack computing device is in a powered onstate.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: triggering an alertin response to not receiving location information of the computingdevice.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: triggering analert in response to receiving location information indicative of thecomputing device being in a wrong location.
 9. The method of claim 1,wherein the tag is a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag andsensing the value of the tag comprises sensing a radio frequency signalencoding a unique identifier of the RFID tag with a radio receiver ofthe tag reader.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the tag is an opticalcode tag and sensing the value of the tag comprises sensing a spatiallymodulated pattern of light encoding an identifier with an optical codescanner of the tag reader.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein theoptical code scanner is a barcode scanner.
 12. The method of claim 1,wherein sensing the value of the tag comprises sensing an identifierunique within a data center with a near-field communications (NFC)sensor of the tag reader.
 13. The method of claim 1, comprising:inserting the rack computing device into a receptacle in the rack;aligning a wireless transmitter of the tag with a wireless receiver ofthe tag reader within the receptacle of the rack, before inserting therack computing device; bringing the wireless transmitter from being outof range of the wireless receiver when beginning to insert the rackcomputing device to being in range of the wireless receiver when therack computing device is fully inserted into the receptacle;transmitting a unique identifier from the wireless transmitter to thewireless receiver, wherein the unique identifier uniquely associates thereceptacle with the rack computing device among other receptacles in therack.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the wireless receiver ispowered by an electrical connection established concurrent with, and aresult of, sliding the rack computing device into the receptacle in therack that couples the blind mate power adaptor of the rack computingdevice with the blind mate power bus of the rack, wherein the blind matepower adaptor is a bus bar adaptor and the blind mate power bus is a busbar and the bus bar adaptor is aligned with the bus bar concurrent withthe sliding the rack computing device into the receptacle in the rack.15. The method of claim 13, wherein: the wireless transmitter does nothave a battery or a wired connection to a power source.
 16. The methodof claim 13, wherein: the wireless transmitter is inductively powered bythe wireless receiver.
 17. The method of claim 1, wherein: the rackholds a plurality of computing devices including the rack computingdevice, each computing device being in spaced relation with a differentrespective rack-mounted wireless transmitter configured to emit awireless signal encoding a different identifier; the rack comprises adirect current (DC) power bus configured to power operation of the rackcomputing device via the blind mate power bus; the rack comprises a rackcontroller having a processor, a memory, and a powerline modem operativeto send commands to, and receive data from the rack computing device viathe DC power bus; and the blind mate power adaptor of the rack computingdevice comprising: a powerline modem; a microcontroller operative toexecute commands sent by the rack controller, the commands includingrequests for location of the rack computing device; and wherein the tagreader is configured to obtain location information of the rackcomputing device from one of the wireless transmitters and provide thelocation information to the microcontroller, wherein a range of thewireless transmitters is less than 20 centimeters.
 18. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the rack-mounted. computing device is connected to apower drop, the method further comprising: sending, via the blind matepower adaptor coupled to the blind mate power bus of the rack, a uniqueidentifier of the power drop indicating which one of a plurality ofpower drops in a data center provides power to the rack computingdevice.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the unique identifier of thepower drop is sent each time the computing device is connected to thepower drop.
 20. The method of claim 18, further comprising: identifyingpower allocation within a plurality of racks, the plurality of racksincluding the rack, and wherein the identifying includes user interfacevisualization of the power allocation.
 21. The method of claim 1,further comprising: sensing with the tag reader a signal transmitted bythe tag, wherein the tag reader comprises non-volatile memory to storesensing information, and wherein the sensing information includes rackcount.
 22. The method of claim 1, wherein: the rack holds a plurality ofcomputing devices including the rack computing device, each computingdevice being in spaced relation with a different respective rack-mountedwireless transmitter configured to emit a wireless signal encoding adifferent identifier; the rack comprises a direct current (DC) power busconfigured to power operation of the rack computing device via the blindmate power bus; the rack comprises a rack controller having a processor,a memory, and a powerline modern operative to send commands to, andreceive data from the rack computing device via an Ethernet controlnetwork or data network; and the blind mate power adaptor of the rackcomputing device comprising: a powerline modem; a microcontrolleroperative to execute commands sent by the rack controller, the commandsincluding requests for location of the rack computing device; andwherein the tag reader is configured to obtain location information ofthe rack computing device from one of the wireless transmitters andprovide, via Ethernet control network or data network, the locationinformation to the microcontroller.
 23. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: sending, with an Ethernet control network, identificationinformation (ID) of the rack-mounted computing device with the locationinformation.
 24. The method of claim 1, further comprising: sending,with an Ethernet control network, additional sensing information withthe location information, wherein the additional sensing informationincludes presence, condition, state, motion, or environmentalinformation.
 25. The method of claim 1, wherein the location informationis sent with an Ethernet control network each time the computing deviceis placed into a new location.
 26. The method of claim 1, whereinadditional sensing information is sent in association with the locationinformation, the additional sensing information including at least onetemperature reading sensed by the rack computing device.
 27. The methodof claim 26, further comprising: receiving, by a rack controller, theadditional sensing information and the location information; andtransmitting, by the rack controller, based on the at least onetemperature reading sensed by the rack computing device and the locationof the rack computing device, a signal to adjust a thermal control unitnot controlled by the rack computing device but associated with thelocation of the rack computing device.